Gophers jump, Badgers tumble in final Big Ten power rankings

RJ ranks 'em:

1. Ohio State (11-1, 8-1): The Buckeyes team everyone expected to see all season showed up in the rout of Michigan. Last week: 2

2. Michigan (11-1, 8-1: The gap in playmakers between the Buckeyes and Wolverines was glaring in that 62-39 romp. Last week: 1

3. Northwestern (8-4, 8-1): A broken leg kept Pat Fitzgerald from playing in Pasadena. Beat Ohio State, and he will get to coach in the Rose Bowl. Last week: 3

4. Penn State (9-3, 6-3): Only a bowl game is left for the highly entertaining Trace McSorley era of Nittany Lions football. Last week: 4

5. Iowa (8-4, 5-4): Losses to Penn State, Purdue and Northwestern by a total of 12 points turned a potentially great Hawkeyes season into merely OK. Last week: 6

6. Michigan State (7-5, 5-4): Spartans must fix an offense that averaged only 17.2 points in Big Ten play. Last week: 7

8. Gophers (6-6, 3-6): The defensive turnaround under Joe Rossi has been beyond impressive, and because of it the Gophers have the Axe. Last week: 11

9. Purdue (6-6, 5-4): Boilermakers dodged the rebuilding bullet when Jeff Brohm turned down Louisville. Last week: 8

10. Nebraska (4-8, 3-6): Things are looking up for Huskers, who won four of their last six. And the two losses, to Ohio State and Iowa, were by a combined eight points. Last week: 10

11. Maryland (5-7, 3-6): Hiring a coach is Job 1 for Terrapins, who lost final four games. Last week: 9

12. Indiana (5-7, 2-7): Defensive issues sunk the Hoosiers' hopes once Big Ten play started. Last week: 12